FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8846, 13 April 1909, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

— ■» : — PALMERSTON (IS) —ORIENTAL (7). For the opening match of the sea-, son the weather suddenly reverted to the summery, with the result that the most notable thing 'about the game was the extraordinary amount of surplus flesh the thirty-odd "green" players got rid of between, the hours of three and four on Saturday. The City team only managed to bring away half a team, and raked up the rest in Palmerston, Stalker, Mullan, Arnott, Fraser, Gibbons, and Jamieson being among them, while for Palmerston Tom Ward, McKewen, and Gordon McMinn stripped off. 'It was hardly to be expected that any excessive brilliance would be shown, but the game was fairly strenuous, and there was no tiredness apparent. Shortly after the start Stewart followed up a long, kick smartly and scrambled over near the corner, Downes kicking a pretty goal. Orientals responded quickly, and Arnott, after a good run, handed matters over to Stalker, who also scored near the corner. Manning failed with the kick. In the second spell Skelley, Avho was playing a characteristic game, set the local men "going again, and Boon got over. Downes failed to add to the score. —B—3.8—3. Gordon McMinn then made a real "McMinn" run. He raced after a high kick a la "Tiny," beat his opponent for the ball, and got clean away. Tom Ward took the kick and landed a beautiful goal. From a mark in an easy place Stalker shoved the ball over the bar, and made the score 13 7, which it remained till the whistle blew. Mr 0. Clelland made a very satisfactory referee, his Quick and decisive whistle auguring well for the season. OLD BOYS v. LEVIN. Old Boys had a somewhat easy win Levin yesterday on the showgrounds, the scores being 15 to 6 For Old Boys R. Munro scored two tries, and Knowles one. while Coutts kicked a pretty penalty goal. For the visitors, Winiata scored a try and kicked a penalty goal. REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. (Peb Feess association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, April 12. At 'the annual '.conference of the New Zealand Referees' Association it was resolved that affiliated Associations be recommended to instruct their members not to referee in foreign matches unless the Unions concerned agree to pay expenses on the scale mentioned in the annual report. The next conference is to.'be 1 held in Wellington. It was decided:— 1. That should any part of a player running with the ball swing into . touch or touch in goal, such player : shall be considered in touch or touch in goal respectively. I 2. That if an attacking player carries jthp ball across an opponent's • goal line and simultaneously with his . placing the ball on the ground an op- . ponent places his hand on the ball, a . scrum five yards out be awarded. . It was moved that if a player with L the ball runs back over his own goal > with the intention of going in the • field of play, but before doing so is ' forced by his opponents to make the [ ball dead, a touch down shall be • awarded. It was decided to state I this proposition as a case to the Ap- • peal Council for a ruling, and in the ' meantime act in accordance with • the motion. ' It was decided that when any part » of the original formation of a scrum- [ mage still remains, consisting of at ' least one player on either side, only . such part shall be considered as the scrummage. - \ It was decided to recommend local ' associations to consider the question 1 of taking steps to afford players op- . portunity of discussing the laws of the x game with referees so as to familiarise players with the present interpretations of the rules. Associations were urged to use every effort towards securing the insertion of a by-law in their local Rugby Union's club contest rules, whereby appointment of referees to such '- matches should be left solely to the - local Referees' Association, a Referees were urged to pay par- - ticular regard to enforcement of seco tions b, c and d of law 11 concerning 8 penalties for failing, to drop the ball a when held, for failing to rise from the e ground when tackled with the ball, i and for preventing an opponent getting up or-dropping the ball. . _ if Officers elected were: —Patron, his r Excellency the Governor. tl President, Mr R. M. Isaac. a Vice-Presidents included Mr A. H. ti Gibbons, Manawatu, and Mr James e Mclntyre, Horowhenua. 4 Hon. sec. and treasurer, Mr J. M. o Robb.